The exemplary embodiment relates to the field of digital image processing. It finds particular application in connection with a natural language interface which allows a user to interact with a color management system, and will be described with particular reference thereto.
One of the goals of digital color management technology is to preserve the customer's perceptual intent when color documents are rendered on different devices, such as RGB displays and color printers. One problem is that the color gamut and emulation profiles of the printer limit the range of colors which can be printed and how colors will be converted from one specification system to another. In some cases, the customer and printer may make coordinated use of the International Color Consortium (ICC) color profiling protocols. The ICC protocols are meant to ensure that color is rendered consistently across all devices. However, adherence to the protocols requires specialized color management knowledge and expertise. The document initiator/designer often provides reasons to the printer about problems with colors in somewhat ambiguous terms, such as “the logo is too blue.” The printer manipulating document color therefore does so without clear knowledge of the customer's intent. In practice, several print-proof-adjust-reprint iterations may be required in the design-print workflow in order to produce an output acceptable for the customer. Clearly this has cost implications, particularly for emergent ready-to-print and print-on-demand markets.
The issue of lack of communication of the document intent (i.e. requirements, preferences, tolerances etc.) to a print shop by the document designer and reciprocally of the printer capabilities and constraints to the designer, has been addressed in above-mentioned application Ser. No. 12/138,846 by the provision of a print mediator which serves as an interface between the designer and the print shop operator.
The exemplary embodiment assists users in understanding and interacting with color management technology, such as the ICC protocols, which are embedded in devices and software in the design-print workflow.